Kazakhstani scientists invent outer space water cleaning system

    By Aida Abirova
    Kazakhstani scientists have invented a system for cleaning water from contaminants and salts in outer space, Tengrinews.kz reports.
    To define whether there is life on any of the planets in the Solar system besides Earth scientists have to study their water, which might have organic substances. Water analyzers can very accurately detect organic fragments when the water is free from salts. That's why the water sampled by space shuttles has to be desalted first.
    "We are not talking about one invention. This involves a series to technologies with no equivalent in the world. It is quite a large system. There will be many inventions, about a dozen. The most important thing in our opinion is to make the core and then add different things to it. The system's prototype, the first pilot sample, is currently working at our plant and we are recording its data," inventor Boris Pilat said.
    The invention already has a foreign customer: the Russian Academy of Science. "We have a contract and jointly with our Russian colleagues we are developing a system to desalt water samples for analysis. After some time we will take it to Moscow to continue the tests," the scientist said. He noted his company is the only one that produces industrial equipment for desalting water throught electrodialysis with superimposed voltage. "I wrote a book a few years ago, the only book in CIS on the subject over the last 25 years. It was published in Russia. Evidently, they read my book and wrote to me," the Kazakhstan scientist said.
    The Kazakhstani invention may be tested in 5-6 years on Jupiter’s satellite moon – Europa, which has ice on its surface. "It (the unit) will sample the ice, melt it and transfer it to the system that removes contaminants and desalts. The liquid will then be transferred into an analyzer for analyses of the organic substances if any," Pilat explained. The invention might also be sent to Mars on board of the Russian space unit Fobos-Grunt-2 in 2020.
    According to Pilat, the United State are also developing similar systems. That's why Kazakhstan scientists decided to register their invention. "We have already submitted the first application for the patent and will submit another shortly. This is our invention, our development. I think there will be 3-4 inventions after we have results of our tests. We are currently at the first stage," Pilat said, according to www.tengrinews.kz.